Colts QB Luck plans on eliminating playoff turnovers

The end is Neard: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was clean shaven as he talked to reporters in the Colts locker room Monday morning at the Colts Complex on W 56th Street.
(Photo: Matt Kryger / The Star)Buy Photo

Video review of the Colts' season-ending 43-22 loss to the New England Patriots is as therapeutic as it is necessary for quarterback Andrew Luck.

The first few viewings help with getting past it.

"I watched it very quickly just to sort of get it going," Luck said Monday. "I'm sure I'll watch it two, three, four more times. I know I will.

"I know I'll watch it (Monday). I just wanted to watch it just to start that process of getting over it."

The next phase is using that game and the 17 that preceded it as teaching tools.

Colts QB Andrew Luck talks about the frustration of not advancing further in the NFL playoffs. (Matt Kryger/The Star)

Last offseason, Luck, quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen and first-year coordinator Pep Hamilton broke down every game, every play from Luck's rookie season. They analyzed the good, the bad. They determined which areas of Luck's game required special attention.

After a short break to recover physically as well as mentally, Luck again will spend extensive time in front of a flat-screen TV with Christensen and Hamilton at his side.

Coach Chuck Pagano described Luck as "his own worst critic. He's very hard on himself.

"But at the same time, he can move on. He's not one to beat himself up. He does a great job of that. He's one of the best I've ever seen as far as having amnesia and putting things behind him."

Luck insisted he'll look at every facet of his game, and that of the offense.

"Look at your mistakes, figure out how you can fix them," he said. "Look at what we did well and figure out how we can keep doing that."

There was undeniable growth in Luck's second season. He cut his turnovers from 23 in 2012 to 11 this season. He bumped his completion percentage to .602 after .541 as a rookie. He appeared to make better, quicker decisions.

Glaring, though, were the seven interceptions in the two playoff games after only nine during the regular season. Luck's eight interceptions in three career postseason games rank third in club history behind Peyton Manning (19) and John Unitas (10).

Luck admitted it's still difficult to reflect on the overall successes of 2013 – a second straight 11-win regular season and playoff appearance, and the wild-card win over the Chiefs – because of the loss to the Patriots.

"I tried to start thinking about the season and all I can think about is this past game against the Patriots and turning the ball over," he said. "But I'm proud to be part of this team. Proud to get to the playoffs.

"But that wasn't our goal. We wanted to win a Super Bowl, just like every other team out there. We'll work to do that this off-season."

Hamilton and Christensen will assist with the detailed, behind-the-scenes work until the off-season conditioning program commences April 29. The actual execution rests with Luck, who insisted he's better equipped "to handle everything from the time off, to travel, to working out, to training."

He already has formed a "To do" list.

"Yeah, all the same things (as last offseason), especially limiting turnovers in playoff games," he said. "I understand that hurt us a lot and I can't do that.

"At some point, we'll sit down and look back at all the interceptions, the fumbles, all the bad plays and then figure out ways to fix them."

Call Star reporter Mike Chappell at (317) 444-6830. You can follow him on Twitter at @mchappell51.